This is my blog about stuff in the news. Sometimes controversial but with the intention of making the blog's readers think about some of the stuff that is being passed off as news these days. You might not like what I say but feel free to comment - after all this is a democracy last time I checked!
Posted By admin on March 10, 2010
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has launched an astonishing attack on Nelson Mandela, accusing the former president of failing black people.
via allAfrica.com: South Africa: Madiba Let Us Down.
Oh boy!
Posted By admin on March 9, 2010
Japanese knotweed was first introduced to the UK by the Victorians as an ornamental plant, but it soon escaped from gardens and began its rampant spread and costs the UK over £150m a year to control and clear.
A natural predator, a small insect in the weed’s native home of Japan could also help to control it here and a trial has been given the go-head.
Unfortunately, alarm bells are ringing, after all previous introductions of alien species to new habitats has been problematic in the past. What will control the Japanese bugs?
see story at BBC News – Insect that fights Japanese knotweed to be released.
Posted By admin on March 9, 2010
With the growing number of dog attacks in the past few years, many resulting in bad injuries and even death, the government launches a public consultation today on proposed changes to the current dangerous dogs laws. The measures include:
This subject has been covered before in this blog ‘Pets That Kill’ The public consultation details are at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/dangerous-dogs/.
Posted By admin on March 9, 2010
Dogs understand the meaning of different growls, from a rumble that says “back off” to playful snarls made in a tug-of-war game.
via Grrr… whats Step away from the bone in dog? – life – 08 March 2010 – New Scientist.
No sh*t, Sherlock!
Posted By admin on March 8, 2010
According to a story on the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8550506.stm), the number of men applying for teacher training has risen sharply because of the recession, says the body responsible for training teachers. There was a 52% rise in the number of men wanting to be primary school teachers – more than 4,700 in 2009/10, up about 1,500 compared with 2008/09.
Not sure that this news should fill me with confidence. It is obvious that many people see teaching as an alternative but one has to wonder whether it’s the second or third choice alternative. I truly believe that teaching is a vocation and a person must be committed to it to be a good teacher. How many of these applicants will stay when the ‘credit crunch’ is over? How committed are these new teachers to teaching?
A related article can be found here.
Posted By admin on March 5, 2010
“The emerging field of ‘nutrigenomics’ looks at how food interacts with genes. It has long been known that people react to certain nutrients differently according to their genetic makeup. Lactose intolerance, for example, is more common among Asians and Africans than of people of North European descent.”
The story is at BBC News – DNA test could predict most effective diet.
Now where do I sign up?
My wife has a nutrition book that recommends foods based on your blood type – a loose relevance to genetic make-up. Of particular interest is the fact that I have read two or three stories recently that have mentioned low carb diest without the silly hesteria that surrounded the Atkins diet. Now if we can get the food industry particularly the fast food, pubs and restaurants to cater for different diet types, we might have less of an obesity problem.
Posted By admin on March 4, 2010
“Publishers should have more balls, they should have more confidence about what they’re doing,” is how Rob Grimshaw, managing director of FT.com put it.
“If they put their mind to it then they can produce compelling products online which people will pay for.”
via BBC – dot.Rory: FT to papers: Readers will pay for quality journalism.
My money is on the fact that only few specialist news sources such as FT will be able to get away with it. the rest just recycle the same news on a daily basis and I am damned if I’m paying for that… I did without the news recently for 10 days and guess what, the world was still the same miserable place I’d ignored…..
Posted By admin on March 4, 2010
“In the UK, to be married to more than one person at a time is illegal. But the Zulu ethnic group, of which Mr Zuma is part, practises polygamy by tradition.”
Raed more @ BBC News – How do Zulus explain polygamy?.
I would respectively put foward that the imposition of one’s values on those who do not hold the same values usually leads to trouble and I do not even have to give examples. In this case, if the ‘additional’ wives accept their position, then who are we? After all, some of us may know people who have affairs with married partners despite the knowledge of that status.
Let him who has no sin cast the first stone….
Posted By admin on March 3, 2010
The Australian federal government has identified a remote cattle station north of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory as a likely site to build Australia’s first nuclear waste dump. The identified site is on tribal land and is causing contreversy within the community. The government assures the community that the nuclear dump would not be built if landowners opposed it.
via BBC News – Aborigines to discuss nuclear proposal on tribal land.
I am more likely to believe that it will not be build if the international community get involved or there are technical reasons why the site is unsuitable. Opposition form Aboriginal groups? I doubt that would stop it.
Posted By admin on March 3, 2010
A US couple has spent the first night of married life in separate prison cells after the bride attacked the grooms former lover after the wedding.
via BBC News – Newly-weds spend honeymoon night in prison.
Fills you with confidence that this is a marriage made in heaven, don’t it? Obviously birds of a feather this couple.
